


downtown (the young ones are growing)

by Rosae (PearlTurtle)



Series: kids in america [1]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Communication Solves Everything, M/M, if you're here for action or character growth this is not the place, just kids being kids!!, young avengers canon except more gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 09:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20005909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearlTurtle/pseuds/Rosae
Summary: "Nate likes me."It's so quiet, barely a whisper, but Teddy catches it anyway. So - that's what this was all about? He bursts out laughing."How is this funny! He told me he has a crush on me and I had to say, sorry, but we're just friends. I feel awful."Teddy feels slightly bad for laughing at Billy's plight. But he snickers anyway.





	downtown (the young ones are growing)

**Author's Note:**

> this was meant to be an ironpatriot fic.
> 
> then i got halfway thru and realized i hadn't given nate a single line of dialogue. 
> 
> oops.

So, it all starts with Nate dropping Teddy during practise. 

  
  


And continues with Nate dropping Teddy again.

  
  


And it  _ actually  _ begins with Nate dropping Teddy a third time because, well, it became Teddy's concern as soon as the bruises started forming on his back, and Teddy wanted to avoid as much injury as possible.

  
  


So, what is  _ it _ ?  _ It _ is Teddy Altman (and, the assistance of Billy Kaplan)'s plan to get Nate to stop refusing to step foot near Eli, and so Nate can lift, and maybe drop, Eli instead. Maybe if Teddy was feeling nice they could take turns being dropped by Nate. Split the pain.

  
  


Teddy doesn't really understand the whole,  _ why _ , concerning Nate's sudden alienation of himself from Eli, who up until a week ago was his best friend, comrade, and sometimes-rival/debate-opponent if strategy was concerned. They didn't even  _ argue _ anymore. That was worrying.

  
  


Step one should have probably been to figure out the  _ why _ but Teddy decided to pass that one over. It seemed like a lot of effort when you could just lock them in a room together for an hour and wait for them to come out, friendship rekindled and everything well and good.

  
  


What Teddy, (and Billy since he was an accomplice, despite what he'd claim later), failed to account for was that a) Eli had superpowers and b) Nate had a suit which basically equated to giving him superpowers. The door did not hold long. Eli storms past Billy and Teddy, leaving Nate alone in the room, words trailing off.

  
  


"That didn't go as... planned."

  
  


" _ You don't say _ . C'mon, Teddy, let's leave whilst we can. Bye, Nate!"

  
  


Before Nate can get a word in either way, Billy grabs Teddy by the arm and pulls him from the room, his pace not slowing until they're completely out of the mansion.

  
  


"So. You made it worse."

  
  


"We don't  _ know _ I made it worse. And, you helped, Billy, so."

  
  


"Okay.  _ We might've  _ made it worse. Probably made it worse."

  
  


Teddy lets out a moaning sigh, shrugging his arm out of Billy's grip. The evening air is cool for summer - not an unpleasant walk. If it had been more humid, Billy might have attempted to port them to their houses, but the risk of ending up in a neighboring state was a little too high to justify that with the weather. 

  
  


"Regardless of whether is  _ is  _ worse or not, what do we do now? Wait?"

  
  


"We can't wait. If not for my healing factor, my whole back would be covered in bruises? I'm at a physical risk here! I'm in  _ danger _ ."

  
  


"Stop being dramatic, Teddy," At Teddy's dubious expression, Billy adds on a, "Yes, I know that's rich coming from  _ me _ , but it'll all work out eventually. They'll figure it out."

  
  


Cue yet another dubious expression from Teddy.

  
  


"We've all known each other for a  _ month _ . How do we know Eli won't just, I don't know, walk out or something?"

  
  


"It's Eli. He wanted this more than any of us."

  
  


"More than you?"

  
  


Billy rolls his eyes, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "More than  _ most  _ of us. Give it time, Tee."

  
  


" _ Tee _ ? That's a new one."

  
  


"Shut up. Let me experiment."

  
  


"Okay, sure thing,  _ Bee _ ."

  
  


They settle into a comfortable rhythm. Foot falls in time with conversation, words and friendly shoves exchanged. Teddy realizes he's never thanked Nate for letting him have this. It's barely been a month since he started spending his days at the Avengers Mansion instead of in his apartment, rereading old comic runs; barely been a month since his dream of actually making a change has come to fruition (well, the self-dubbed _ Avengers-who-won't-have-a-dramatic-breakup _ , haven't actually done anything yet but it's a work in progress); barely been a month since he met  _ Billy _ .

  
  


It feels like years. It feels like a  _ lifetime _ . And yet it's just been a collection of seconds which vanish too quickly. Moments which pass by in a blur, of which Teddy remembers in bright, vivid detail but.

  
  


It's barely been a month. Thirty days. Less than five weeks.

  
  


"Teddy? You walked past the subway entrance."

  
  


"Right. Goodnight, Billy."

  
  


"You sure you don't want me to walk you home? It's late, and…"

  
  


Teddy bites back a smile. "I should be asking _you_ that. Sure you won't electrocute an innocent passerby by accident? I'm more worried for _their_ safety than yours."

  
  


"Listen- I'm getting it under control. Slowly."

  
  


Teddy snorts.

  
  


"'Slowly' being key." Billy hits him lightly on the shoulder for that one - not too hard, but Teddy doubts Billy could hit much harder only using his physical strength.

  
  


"Whatever. Text me when you get home?"

  
  


That. It feels like a  _ something _ . Something intimate. Something  _ good _ . Something which should be entirely too personal for someone he's only known for a month, but it  _ isn't _ .

  
  


"And, we can call later to talk more about the Eli and Nate situation. But, after we talk about this week's Captain America, because,  _ wow _ ."

  
  


And, the moment is broken, but Teddy doesn't mind. He remembers these moments with vivid detail; it isn't really lost. The  _ something _ still exists.

  
  


"I know! Can we talk about that final page, because now the  _ X-men  _ are showing up? What  _ is _ this event?"

  
  


"It's  _ wild _ , but I really- oh, shoot. You'll miss your train. Go, go! See you, _ Tee! _ "

  
  


A yelled retort, hurried goodbye, a sprint down the stairs and he thankfully doesn't miss the train. He's texting Billy as soon as the train doors close, much less when he gets home.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Nate and Eli decidedly Do Not Figure It Out on their own. Teddy flat-out refuses to continue practising flying when he sees Nate standing as far away from Eli as physically possible whilst remaining in the same room. Nate looks a bit crestfallen that his suggestion got shot down so quickly. Silence ensues.

  
  


Thirty seconds.

  
  


Teddy makes eye contact with Billy. It's all he can do to stop himself from laughing at the fact that the four of them are just standing in opposite corners of the room, waiting for someone to speak.

  
  


Forty-five seconds.

  
  


And, then-

  
  


"Well, if we're not going to-"

  
  


"How about we-"

  
  


Eli and Nate begin speaking at the same time. Both of them stop speaking, and Eli punctuates a slight glare at Nate. The tension, somehow, managed to increase.

  
  


"You go first."

  
  


"No,  _ you _ , go first, Nate."

  
  


"Oh my god. Neither of you go first. Nate, come with me, Eli, go with Teddy. Christ."

  
  


_ Thank god for Billy's existence. _

  
  


Teddy drags Eli off into a neighboring room. He thinks it might've been a bedroom once, but with the junk scattered across the floor, broken down into useless rubble, he can't tell. 

  
  


"Billy won't let any of us leave until we figure this out so. The floor is yours, Eli."

  
  


Eli looks unimpressed.

  
  


"Yeah,  _ no _ . This is between me and Nate. Not you."

  
  


"Practise is awful! Billy and I enter and it's just  _ ice-cold  _ silence."

  
  


"Nate and I are figuring it out," Eli says. "It's complicated."

  
  


"No, really. We have all the time in the world. Billy won't let us out until you and Nate stop hating each other."

  
  


"We don't  _ hate _ each other." Eli states defensively. Teddy could see him eyeing the door earlier, searching for a way to escape the conversation, but he's given that up by now. Resigned himself to his fate. "We're just having a… disagreement."

  
  


Eli and Nate have a lot of disagreements. They have disagreements about when to practise,  _ what _ to practise. Where to go for dinner. Who should team up with who. Whether to use the Sinister Six holograms or the Doctor Doom hologram. Whether Magneto was right. They lasted for ten, fifteen, thirty minutes. Occasionally completely derailed practise. Forgotten the next day.

  
  


This was definitely out of Disagreement Territory. 

  
  


"Either way, it's not my place to tell you. It wouldn't be right."

  
  


"But… you'll tell me anyway, right?"

  
  


Eli stares at him flatly.

  
  


"C'mon, Eli! You know as well as I that Billy's stubborn. He's locked us in here, and won't let us out until you and Nate sort yourselves out."

  
  


"How do we even know the door is locked?"

  
  


"Obviously, it's locked. Look-" Teddy turns the handle with ease. The door swings open, revealing a flushed Billy standing in the hallway, Nate nowhere in sight. "Oh. Nevermind."

  
  


"Christ." Eli shoots a look which practically screams  _ i-told-you-so  _ to Teddy, who just pouts slightly in response. He glances around at the prominent Lack Of Nate in the vicinity, and to Billy, directs a, "Did he tell you?" 

  
  


Billy nods. He looks mortified. Teddy is feeling very out of the loop.

  
  


"Right. Well. We'll text you later." And with that, Eli stalks away, presumably leaving the Mansion although Teddy honestly had no idea what was going on.

  
  


"So, anyone want to clue me in?"

  
  


" _ Nate likes me. _ "

  
  


It's so quiet, barely a whisper, but Teddy catches it anyway. So - that's what this was all about? He bursts out laughing.

  
  


"How is this funny! He told me he has a crush on me and I had to say,  _ sorry, but we're just friends. _ I feel  _ awful _ ."

  
  


Teddy feels slightly bad for laughing at Billy's plight. But he snickers anyway. He's also ashamed to say he feels a little glad Billy let Nate down. Nate probably isn't having a fun time but, call Teddy selfish all you want, Teddy is  _ happy  _ Billy said no.

  
  


"You didn't know?"

  
  


Billy looks thoroughly confused.

  
  


"Oh my god. He's had a crush on you since, like, the day you met him."

  
  


" _ What. _ "

  
  


Teddy's managed to reign in his mirth by this point (okay, that's totally a lie. but he's trying!). Billy still looks mortified and the fact that this entire week of animosity was simply because of Nate having a crush. The whole situation could have been resolved by a little talking but they didn't. So. Here they are now.

  
  


"You seriously didn't realize? He's so obvious about it too, like-"

  
  


"Oh,  _ god _ . I need to go drown my tears of guilt in something."

  
  


"Video games?" Teddy suggests. "We can carry on with our nuzlocke Pokemon runs. I'm seriously interested to see how you'll fare at the rock gym, considering your team."

  
  


"Oh, just because I have all normal-types doesn't mean my team is useless!" Drag him away from his guilt by mentioning Pokemon. Teddy knows exactly how to get Billy to stop focusing on the negative things, mainly because the exact same strategy works on _ him.  _ "Nightwing will pull through, trust me."

  
  


"I can't believe you named a  _ Bidoof  _ Nightwing. Seriously, Zubats are right there!"

  
  


"Have it my way, he wouldn't even be called Nightwing anymore. Not with the  _ Ric _ thing DC is pulling."

  
  


"...I don't mind Ric." 

  
  


" _ What?  _ I'm sorry, I have to find a new person to play Pokemon with. I can't believe you  _ like  _ Ric, seriously, who-"

  
  


Billy looks extremely betrayed for a second, which Teddy wholeheartedly understands because really, fuck Ric, before catching the expression on Teddy's face. 

  
  


" _ Oh my god _ . You're joking. I'm so glad."

  
  


"I'm a little hurt that you'd actually consider that I _like_ Ric, Billy. Don't you think better of me?"

  
  


"Shut up. I'm going through an emotional crisis right now. Let's go, Pokemon. Ignoring DC."

  
  


Emotional crisis thereby averted, they go. 

  
  


(And, Billy,  _ somehow _ manages to complete the rock gym. Nightwing survives. GreenLantern and DoctorFate are not so lucky. A few tears are shed over that.)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Nate's moping. He said he didn't want to come."

  
  


"How long do you think it'll take him to get over it?"

  
  


Billy moans melodramatically.

  
  


"Oh, quiet, Billy. It's not your fault. I'm betting maybe… three days? He won't want to spend  _ too _ much time away from practising."

  
  


"I say two days. Twenty dollars on whoever is right?"

  
  


"Sure." 

  
  


Billy looks vastly unimpressed as Eli and Teddy shake hands across the table. Teddy whispers a sly  _ if he seems like he'll get over it in two days i need you to break his heart again _ to Billy, earning him a kick under the table from Eli and a glare from Billy.

  
  


"Using Billy is  _ cheating _ , Teddy, you know that. Anyway, I know  _ I'm  _ right because he already agreed to meet up with me tomorrow. Elijah wins, yet again."

  
  


"That's  _ definitely _ cheating! You can't meet up before we make the deal! Back me up, Billy."

  
  


"I'm staying out of this," Billy states. "I caused this, and I will mope just as long as Nate does. And, no, I  _ don't  _ have twenty dollars you can borrow, Teddy. You dug your own grave here."

  
  


"You will admit that Eli's cheating though, right?"

  
  


"I refuse to comment."

  
  


Eli shoots a smirk at Teddy. Teddy chooses to ignore it and pointedly look in the other direction. Ever a graceful loser. He can hear Billy snicker at his response and Teddy counts that as a point in his favour.

  
  


"So. Nate likes Billy, right-" Billy lets out a groan. "No, we're not changing the topic. If Nate likes Billy, why is he avoiding you, Eli?"

  
  


"That is information I will  _ not _ disclose, Teddy."

  
  


"Even if we let you play Yoshi and I'll play Shy Guy next time we play Mario Kart?"

  
  


Eli contemplates for a moment. 

  
  


" _ Fine _ . But only if we play Rainbow Road."

  
  


"Teddy, _do_ _not_ agree to his terms or I will kill you myself, we are not playing Rainbow Road ever again. No way. Never."

  
  


Teddy lets out a somewhat apologetic smile in Billy's direction. Billy looks utterly betrayed.

  
  


"Billy, you know I love you, but there are priorities. You have a deal, Eli."

  
  


An empty sugar packet narrowly misses Teddy. The straw and fry that Billy throws, however, have better aim.

  
  


"Alright, so about a week ago I walked into Nate talking quite passionately to a wall. It was something like  _ oh, Billy, we haven't known each other for long but _ -" Billy's expression grows more pained by the minute and Teddy is beginning to genuinely feel a little bad, but not enough to ask Eli to stop. He'd given up  _ Yoshi _ over this. Yoshi! "Anyway, it went on like that for a while,  _ very _ passionate considering Nate's only known you for three weeks, give or take. He got super embarrassed, and then I told him not to tell you. Obviously, that doesn't really matter now, so I guess he's done being mad at me." 

  
  


"Not that I particularly want to carry on this conversation, but that doesn't really add up.  _ You _ seemed angry at him, Eli. Why?"

  
  


"Unrelated. Does not matter. So, how about that new DC comic? I hate Ric Grayson so-"

  
  


Eli was beginning to look a little flustered. It takes Teddy a second to realize, but with how quickly Eli changed the topic, as well as how he and Nate usually interacted in practise, that meant.

  
  


" _ Oh my god _ ." Billy breathes, at the same exact moment Teddy lets out a gasp of realization.

  
  


"Whatever you're thinking, it's wrong. Completely wrong."

  
  


"You like Nate!" Billy seems immensely happy that the topic has shifted from him being the object of Nate's affections, to  _ Nate  _ being the object of Eli's.

  
  


"I do not! Why-" Upon seeing their expressions, Eli knows he's lost. No use delaying the inevitable. "Do  _ not _ tell him. Yes. I like him! But, we've only known each other for a month or so, so it's weird that I like him and I won't tell him."

  
  


"I mean, Nate told  _ Billy _ after a month. He won't think it's weird."

  
  


"Either way, we all know he likes someone else. Someone who's name begins with a B and is a  _ huge  _ nerd. I wouldn't want to confuse him."

  
  


Billy looks even more guilty now. 

  
  


"I could… ask him to like you? Maybe?"

  
  


As soon as the words leave his mouth, Eli and Teddy share a look and burst into unified laughter. Billy only looks a  _ little _ disheartened.

  
  


"Billy,  _ no _ . That's not what you do."

  
  


Before Billy can retort, Eli glances at his phone and slides it triumphantly towards Teddy.

  
  


"Nate just texted practise is back on two days from now. Guess you owe me a twenty, Teddy."

  
  


Teddy is cursing his past-self for tormenting Billy so. Borrowing some cash would really help him here.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


("I knew Billy would say no," Eli explains later, words fast and stressed as he desperately tries to keep Yoshi on the track of Rainbow Road. "That's why he - Nate - was mad at me. Because I wasn't supporting him."

  
  


"How did you know?" Teddy responds. Billy had disappeared a moment ago, claiming to have gone to retrieve more snacks, although that was just a poor excuse to escape the shame of coming in last the third time in a row. Hopefully Eli would concede to playing Smash instead so Billy would rejoin them.

  
  


"He likes someone else. And, it was a little selfish of me but, well…"

  
  


Eli doesn't have to say it. Teddy knows he'd probably do the same if Billy ever approached this  _ someone else _ Eli mentioned, however bad it sounded. 

  
  


Instead of pondering  _ that  _ train of thought, Teddy asks,

  
  


"Someone else?"

  
  


He's genuinely hurt that Eli knew about this before  _ he _ did. 

  
  


"Yeah. Not my place to say. Anyways, you just lost. Not paying attention?"

  
  


Teddy doesn't pay attention throughout the next two times they play Rainbow Road either. It's only when they eventually switch to Smash that his thoughts get past the words  _ someone else _ .

  
  


Eli leaves Billy's apartment that evening. Teddy stays.)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Nate having someone who cares about him as much as Eli does… it's nice."

  
  


"'Nice'? So… eloquent."

  
  


"Took you a while to think of that word, Tee. At least  _ I  _ got a word immediately."

  
  


"Listen, I- nevermind. Did you hear the conversation Eli and I had?"

  
  


"What? No," there's confusion evident on Billy's face and Teddy really, really hopes he doesn't push the topic because Teddy does not want to have to talk about the mysterious other person Eli mentioned. "Eli told me about it when you were in the bathroom. Since Nate could leave any moment, Eli's determined to make sure Nate is happy before then."

  
  


Teddy can imagine. If he knew he could wake up one day and Billy was totally gone-

  
  


He's not sure what he would do.

  
  


Teddy's mouth is dry. He draws his tongue over them, trying not to fidget his hands too much. Rubbing his fingers together, he can feel how warm they are, slightly sweaty. It's just him and Billy alone now.

  
  


"Do you ever," he clears his throat. The room is dark; lights off, illuminated only by slim cracks of moonlight through the blinds and the ghoulish glow of the stars scattered across the ceiling. The apartment is silent - Billy's siblings asleep by now. Teddy lowers his voice to a whisper. "Do you ever wish for someone like that, Billy?"

  
  


Billy is silent for a moment. It's too dark to see his expression well. He pushes a few strands of hair out of his face, his hair and nails blending with the wall behind him, melting into the darkness. It's too dark to see Billy well, but Teddy knows he's beautiful.

  
  


"'m not sure," he admits, equally as quiet as Teddy. "If I wanted to, I could wish for everything to be perfect, but…"

  
  


"Why don't you? One snap, and everything's wonderful."

  
  


"Do… do I need to? Isn't everything perfect now?"

  
  


The soft light of the artificial stars. Strips of moonlight. Silence on the house. Buzz of New York traffic. Billy, sitting less than a foot away. Billy, beautiful and wonderful and perfect. 

  
  


"And, the people?" Teddy's voice is thick. This is a  _ something _ . A moment in a collection of moments. Something he'll remember vivid and bright, with full clarity. "Would you ever wish for an Eli for your Nate?"

  
  


"Do I need one? I know an Eli already. I have something better."

  
  


"And, what's that?"

  
  


"I think you know, Teddy."

  
  


Teddy might know. He doesn't want to say it out-loud anyway. Say it out-loud makes it real, and if it's real it can be taken away.

  
  


"For the record, I don't think you'd have to wish for an Eli anyway."

  
  


"Of course I don't, Teddy. There's this guy I know and he's… well, how he looks doesn't really matter. I've only known him for a couple months, but he  _ gets _ me. He's kind of a nerd, and… y'know."

  
  


"He's  _ very _ much a nerd."

  
  


Billy lets out a choked laugh. Teddy relaxes his grip, and his fingers come into contact with Billy's. Still unbelievably cold.

  
  


"And, the rest of it? Is it true?"

  
  


"I wouldn't say it's  _ false _ ."

  
  


"Then, I don't need to change anything," Billy laces their fingers together and Teddy realises that this is not a moment but a Moment. Not a second in a countless collection of ones just like it. One, of very, very few moments which Actually Mean Something. Something he will remember.

  
  


For this moment, Teddy forgets he met Billy barely a month ago. That he's only known him for thirty-four days, less than five weeks, eight hundred and sixteen hours. Everything has happened so fast - meeting him, seeing him everyday for a month and being declared his best friend a little over a week since Teddy introduced himself. Billy moves at the same beat as him, shines in frequencies and wavelengths only Teddy can see.

  
  


So much has happened in a month it's unreal. 

  
  


"Is this perfect, then? Nothing for you to change?"

  
  


"Do  _ you _ think it's perfect?"

  
  


Teddy nods. Awaits a response. Forgets it's so dark Billy can't see him.

  
  


"Yeah, this is… good."

  
  


"'Good'?  _ Very _ eloquent."

  
  


"Quiet. This is perfect. Right?"

  
  


A moment of silence. Teddy can hear fabric shifting and  _ oh _ , Billy just nodded. Of course he did. Same wavelength.

  
  


"Yeah. Good. Perfect. Whatever. It's  _ us." _

  
  


And, it's good. Perfect.  _ Them _ . Teddy wouldn't change it for the world.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> comments are super appreciated!! thanks for reading i hope u enjoyed it  
> admittedly not my best but you can only get better
> 
> (this is a series!! there will be sequels with the other main ya couples)
> 
> stan nate richards or else


End file.
